Basic Cable Costs More in Towns Without FCC Regulation

Moderator

Part of me wonders why anyone pays at all for these limited basic cable packages. Granted, they're cheap(ish), but they get subscribers only about 20 channels. That's not much more (or maybe even less) than you'd get by purchasing an antenna and watching free over-the-air TV. City officials in Boston are asking the FCC to start regulating cable rates, but perhaps the best thing the city could do for residents is hand out or offer discounts on antennas.

If you bundle, it can sometimes negate the cost of limited basic cable. However, the cable companies sometimes don't allow limited basic to qualify for the "bundle" discount. And they play games with it: sometimes they don't include the HD channels unless you get a rental box, etc.

Which brings up another point: Although the cost may be $20 or so, the added franchise fees, box rentals, and taxes push it to almost $30 a month - or more, if you have to rent a box for 5 TV sets.